Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
The EditorsMarch 05, 2013

Last summer the Pentagon approved tours of the detention operations in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for only a few reporters. America had access from July 15-19, 2013. 

Luke Hansen, S.J., an associate editor, toured Camps Five and Six (where most of the detainees are held), the detainee library, food preparation center, hospital and behavioral health unit.

He also interviewed the commander of U.S. Southern Command, the director of public affairs, two chaplains, a defense attorney, the Muslim cultural adviser, members of the guard force, the senior medical officer and the head psychiatrist.

Here is the latest news and commentary from America:

Morality and Morale: The experience of U.S. soldiers inside Guantánamo Bay, Luke Hansen, S.J. (May 19, 2014)

Defending 'the Worst': An interview with the lawyer of an accused terrorist, Luke Hansen, S.J. (May 19, 2014)

Call Me 'Zak': An insider's view of the detainees in Guantánamo Bay, Luke Hansen, S.J., and David Rose (May 9, 2014)

Viewexclusive photos of the detention facilities.

Watch Luke's report on July 18, 2013, from Camp X-Ray, where the first detainees were held in Guantánamo Bay.


Watch several detainees engaged in prayer on July 17, 2013, during Ramadan, in a communal living area in Camp Six.


Other news and commentary from America on the detention camps at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Editorials

The Torture Report (May 6, 2013)

Obama's Scandal (Oct. 22, 2012)

The Detention Scandal (April 11, 2011)

Rule of Law (July 21, 2008)

From Terror to Torture (Jan. 31, 2005)

Features

Guantánamo Prayers: An 'America' editor goes inside the offshore prison, Luke Hansen, S.J. (July 22, 2013)

Liberty or Death, Margot Patterson (May 20, 2013)

The Path to Closing Guantánamo, Luke Hansen, S.J. (May 10, 2013)

The Man of Sorrows, Anne-Marie Drew (May 6, 2013)

A Permanent Prison? Why Guantánamo might outlast the Obama presidency, Luke Hansen, S.J. (Jan. 16, 2013)

Guantánamo Journal: A Jesuit's week at Camp Justice, Luke Hansen, S.J. (Jan. 7, 2013)

The Prosecution Rests: Why Lt. Col. Darrel J. Vandeveld left Guantánamo (Sept. 26, 2011)

Guantánamo Pilgrimage, Luke Hansen, S.J. (Oct. 25, 2010)

The Rights of Detainees: Prisoners at Guantánamo are entitled to habeas corpus, Brian R. Farrell (Sept. 24, 2007)

Military Commissions

In October 2012 America reported live from the military commissions in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. These are Luke Hansen's daily reflections from the naval base.

Victims' Families Seek 'Justice' at 9/11 Trial  (Oct. 19)

Suffering and Spirit in Guantánamo Bay (Oct. 17)

9/11 Defendent Mourns Father's Death (Oct. 16)

Hearings Resume in 9/11 Trial (Oct. 16)

Arrival in Guantánamo (Oct. 15)

America Reports from Guantánamo (Oct. 12)

Digital Media

A Jesuit in Guantánamo, podcast on Luke Hansen's trip to Guantánamo Bay (Nov. 12, 2012)

Photos from Luke Hansen's trip to Guantánamo Bay (Oct. 14-20, 2012)

Guantánamo Witness, podcast on Luke Hansen's meeting with former Guantánamo detainees (Oct. 25, 2010)

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Candles and a photo of Pope Francis are seen in front of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic, in Rome, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, where the Pontiff is hospitalized since Friday, Feb. 14. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Pope Francis has had a severe breathing crisis today that required giving him high-flow oxygen and blood transfusions.
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 22, 2025
Is the pope out of danger? No. Is he in danger of death right now? Also no.
Gerard O’ConnellFebruary 21, 2025
Emergency workers carry the body of a person killed during a Russian drone and missile strike Sept. 4, 2024, on residential buildings in Lviv, Ukraine. (OSV News photo/Roman Baluk, Reuters)
The White House began an effort to restore relations with Russia as President Trump repeats Russia’s narrative and talking points about the origins of the war on Ukraine.
Kevin ClarkeFebruary 21, 2025
Joining Ashley and Zac to cover the cosmos on this week’s episode of “Jesuitical” is Guy Consolmagno, S.J., the director of the Vatican Observatory and author of the new book, A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science.
JesuiticalFebruary 21, 2025